


Between The Lines

by Steampunk_d



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, between s6-s7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 20:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12328536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steampunk_d/pseuds/Steampunk_d
Summary: Alice brings a friend, who is on a mission, to Hyperion Heights. Her target, our favorite Evil Queen.





	Between The Lines

**Author's Note:**

> I have mulled around how a character like Langwidere could integrate into this world. Tonight my muse came out of hiding and this is what happened. Enjoy.

_“Are you kidding me? She’s a goddamned bartender? Who the HELL thought THAT was appropriate?”_

Alice understood the shock Langwidere was feeling. The Evil Queen had left a mark on her. One of undying love and loyalty, not because she physically held the girls heart, but because she did so figuratively. In a literal sense Alice guessed that Langwidere suffered from a sort of Stockholm syndrome. The Queen had lured the most beautiful daughter of King August into an unescapable trap, had led her to believe that she cared, and then had destroyed the only other thing Langwidere valued; her beauty. In that moment the Queen had created a force to never reckon with. The line between Love and Hate became non-existent. 

Langwidere was beautiful. Her hair was black, not a very dark brown, but truly black. Her skin was always a perfect shade of tanned. In this world the storybooks got it ALL wrong. Langwidere wasn’t a blonde, she didn’t own multiple heads, and she most certainly did NOT wear dresses. In truth she was a fairly normal girl. No, she really wasn’t though. She was highly intelligent, often advising her father on important matters, she was as confident it ever gets; bordering cocky, and her style was clean and just shy of being considered masculine. She was still all of those things, but she now went by Langley. A side effect of a potion that had been fed to both her and the Queen.

The task had not been easy to accomplish. Getting either of them to drop their guard long enough to sneak anything into their glasses was impossible. A stealthier tactic had been used, one that Alice definitely did not enjoy remembering. After seeing the effects take hold of Langley, Alice had felt sorry for the girl.

_“Hello? Alice, are you even listening to me? I’m going to end this here and now.”_

_“What are you going to do Langley? Charge in there and what? Kill her? What are you going to tell the judge when you’re arrested for murder? Hope you like padded rooms.”_

_“Now that I remember who BURNED OFF half of my face, I’m owed some payback!”_

She was impatient, that had not changed, EVER. She couldn’t let Langley accomplish her task though. If Langley knew about Cora and the potion, and how badly Regina reacted when she saw what her magic was capable of, she wouldn’t be looking for blood. More likely she’d be hell-bent on fixing the problem. That’s what Alice needed to make Langley believe. It was going to be difficult, these were the two most bull-headed women on the face of ANY realm.

_“I’m going in now, are you coming? I’ll behave, I just need to see what the witch looks like.”_

Alice was hot on Langley’s heels. It’s not that she didn’t trust her, but she didn’t. Not when the line between love and hate is so very fine.

The bar was impressive. She had expected a high class, VIP section, every drink costs more than $30, kind of place. This was comfortable. Alice sensed that Regina had changed, but she didn’t trust the instinct. Neither did Langley who was charging across the room toward the ebony haired bartender.

_“Tequila, NO training wheels.”_

Stay classy Langley. Alice was entertained by the fact that Langley had perched on a stool and was scanning the barroom. She was shocked when the bartender turned around.

_“Well, someone left their manners at the door. “_

Alice’s anxiety peaked when the Queen herself was suddenly standing right there across the bar from them.

_“How about you? Any better?”_

The Queen was exquisite in her own right. This iteration was far beyond what she had expected. There were no jewels, no frivolous hairstyle, and definitely no silk and tulle gowns. No, this version wore a rock band sleeveless shirt and jeans. The strength was still in her eyes though, and the grin was still an amalgamation of snide and sincere.

_“Same, please.”_

She knew better than to bait this woman, no matter if she remembered who she was or not. Looking back and forth between the two of them Alice dreaded what would happen when Langley turned around. It was too late to worry.

_“I’m Langley. Who are you?”_

Tactful.

_“I’m Roni, I’m also the owner, and further I’m not impressed with your attitude. Does that mask hide your decency too?”_

This was not going to be good. Alice’s stomach churned when Langley gave her a quick side-eye. This had to stop before Langley did something that would require another potion. Before she could act she heard Langley’s sarcastic response.

_“Apologies, my Queen.”_

In an instant Alice had grabbed Langley by the back of her shirt and dragged her out the door, down the street, across the park, and as far away from that bar as she could. Even with Langley struggling to get away, Alice had an iron grip. She walked her all the way back to their rundown apartment. They needed to have a discussion about how this was going to proceed. Langley was out for revenge and that did not mix well with Alice’s mission. She had to fix her own mistake, she had to undo what the potion had done. She didn’t know how she would manage, she couldn’t be sure that either of them was the other’s True Love, and there was no way Langley’s lips were touching the Queens, not unless she was trying to bite her tongue off. This was definitely going to require another way.

Alice slammed open the door to the apartment and shoved Langley towards the couch.

_“Sit down and relax your damned temper. Do you have ANY idea how bad that could have gone? Did you forget about that part where everyone here is under a curse? Did you forget that CAPTAIN HOOK and RUMPLESTILTSKIN are both COPS, and the police station is LESS than a hundred yards from the bar!”_

_“I don’t give a damn who’s a cop or WHERE they are. I came here with a goal in mind, you knew that! You knew what my endgame was before you EVEN brought me here. Why are you so surprised? She did THIS to me!”_

Langley emphatically pointed to the white half-face mask she wore. Alice was so used to it that she didn’t even notice it anymore. The Queen had noticed though, and had done something truly Queen-like. She used it as an opportunity to get under Langley’s skin. When Regina had scarred Langley it had brought out the worst in them both. That was part of the reason she had been given the potion. Langley became a volatile walking nuke. Even the smallest infraction would set her off. Regina, having little control of her magic then, and still retaining concern for a select few, had nearly shut down completely. Cora didn’t allow that to last for long though.

 Alice felt that she was going to have to diplomat this quest, Switzerland. It’s a good thing her balance was superb.

**Author's Note:**

> I do not currently have a beta. Sorry for anything that might have slipped through.


End file.
